Hollow-casing hitch



July 1, 192s. 1,544,660

' c E. LAwsoN HOLLOW CASINGl HITCH Filed NOV. 15, 1925 FIG. I IH Illa. Z

lll

C Edward Law/#90p Patented July 7, 1925. Y y L PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES C EDWARD LAWSON, OF GARBER, OKLAHOMA.

HOLLOW-CASING HITCH.

Application filed November 16, 1923. Serial No. 675,171.`

1 lows First; to provide a casing hitchV that is rv hollow, so that a charge of explosive may be lowered, and pass through the hitch to a desired point, and discharged.

Second; to provide a hitch that can be lowered to the bottom of a portion of the pipe line, and be firmlyattached thereto, so Ithat when that portion of the pipe is with# drawn the mechanism will automatically function as a fishing spear, drawing the adjoining casing as hereinafter described.

Third; to provide such a hollow casing hitch so that the cable lowering said hitch can be detached and withdrawn.

i These and other objects will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings;

Fig. -1 is a longitudinal section through the casing showing the position of the hitch, before being put into engagement.

F ig. 2- is a longitudinal view, part of the casing remo-ved, showing the hollow casing hitch, engaged. n

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line A-A, looking in the direction of arrow.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line li-B, looking in the direction of arrow.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line C-C, looking in the direction of arrow.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line D-D, looking in the direction of arrow.

1 is the top or large casing, as applied in an oil well, and 2 is the lower, or smaller sized casing, which is passed down through the casing 1. 3 is a casing to be used `as a line for drawing the lower ,"casings, and through said casing 3 is passed my hollow casing hitch, composed of parts as hereinafter described. 4 is a cable attached firmly to the bail 5, by the cable passing through as shown at 6, and entering a receptacle 7 in which Babbitt metal is poured to hold said .cable firmly intact in the receptacle, the means of which is to lower Said .hitch to its proper location, and at which time the bail is detached by dropping a ferrule 8 over said cable so that when it is brought into `engagement wi-th the arms E of said bail,

it will cause them to contract sufiiciently to disengage lugs v9 from the annular groove '10, then the bail may be removed, and if a shot is required to sever the casing below said hitch, it can be passed downward through theI hollow 11 and discharged without serious effect on the casing hitch. 12 is a top member being hollowed, and flared as atI 13, and in said flare is an annular groove to engage the arms 5, as heretofore described, and the said member. 12 being be-v'elledl 'as at 14 and threaded at 15,

engaging in the end of a pipe 16 and on the opposite end of said pipe, and engaging firmly therein by threaded means, is a` member 17 functioning as a cam. Equally stationed around said member 17 is a plurality of toothed members 18. 19 are springs connecting said tooth members to a collar 20, which` is slidablymounted on said pipe 16. 21 is a. spring engaging between said collar and the end of connection 22., said spring functioning as tension means to cause Said tooth members 18 to start into an engagement with the inside wallsof pipe 2, so that with the tension of an upward movement of my casing hitch, thev said tooth members will cut in-to thel vmetal of said casing for the purpose of withdrawing it from the well. On the opposite end of my hollow casing hitch are a plurality of tooth ymembers 23, same being attached to bars 211, and the opposite end of said bars are firmly attached to a collar 25, said collar being 'slidably mounted on connecting ypipe V16. 26 is a spring functioning as tension means between said collar and a collar 27, which is rigidly attached to said pipe 16. 28 are arms rigidly attached to collar 25, and on the opposite end of said arms are lugs 29, lsaid lugs adapted to engage in openings 30, holding said spring compressed and thesaid lugs are held in engagement in said openings 30, by arms 31, said arms being pvotally mounted at 32and the said arms being of suflicient width that the casing 3 functions as binding means in conjunction with said arms to hold said lugs engaged as shown at F, until the said hitch ascends sufficiently for said tov gage firmly by cutting-intothe metal of said pipe, as they ascend on said bevel or cone 14. My'hollow casing -hitch is then firmly attached to the casing line hereto referred to,

functioning as the line for drawing the casing 2 from the well and in the ascent the arms 31 will slide onthe walls of casing 1,-0r should the said arms become disengaged by passing the said arms may follow the walls of the hole as drilled or protrude 'into the earth, and reverse theirposition from the 'pivot'ed connection, without obstructing Athe capacity of the hitch, but such `action may occur only in the case of a broken connection or a severed casing, the ends being in close proximity to each other, and in such case the hitchin'g of the twoV lines would take place in like manner to that shown in the drawings.

7 hen mycasing hitclris being lowered, it is shown thatthe lo-wer end of member 17 is cone shaped as at H, so that it will pass freely over joints or exposed ends of casings, and the: bevelled opening 18, in member lil-'functions fortwo purposes, first to receive the charge that is being lowered for thepurpose heretofore described, and second, as means for entering the arms of bail 5,' so that lugs 9 will engage in the annular groove 10 When the casing is drawn,` and it is desired to disengage the hitch, said hitch can be separated at the joint 33, then both ends can be dra-wn through the casings in opposite'direction,disengaging the toothed members heretoforel referred to, then the parts may be reassembled, and the casing hitch is again ready for action. It will be understood that the casing hitch as described functions as a link to connect the adjacent ends ofthe casing, and the toothed members on each end thereof, work in conjunction with each other connecting the two pipes, and the toothed members 23, engage with the pipe when'the arms 31 Vhave passed out Vthrough the end yof the pipe, at which time the hitch is prevented from -further descent, and the toothed members 18 on the opposite end are adapted to engage firmly with the casing when the ascent is made.

Such modifications may be employed as lie'within the scope of the appended claims and having thus described my invention,

1.' In a hollow'casing'hitcln'a hitch adapted to connect the adjoining ends of two casings by slidingrsaid hitch downward until the opposite ends of said hitch are inter posed within the ends of said casings, a plurality of toothed members slidably mounted and being-Atensioned by springs so that said toothed members will expand binding the ends of said hitch inthe adj-acent ends of thecasings, hitching said casings together, a bail swiveled in the'end `of said hitch, a iollow pipe adapted to engage over said bail sof-thatI by gravityforce the said bail is disengaged for removal, and the said top casing `functions as a line'to draw'the casing attached to 4the :opposite ends of said hitch from the well, and means for disconnecting saidhitch asconvenient means for removing said hitch'from' the well.

2.- ln a4 hollowca'sing hitch, a `pipe connect-ing cone members functioning as'cams, a plurality of tooth'edmembers supported by arms, and-`said arms Abeingffirmly attached to a collar whichl is slidably'rnonnted on the shaft 16 of saidf hollow casing hitchganchor arms 28 'att-ached to said ring,means `for attaching said arms to said shaft so that said cams may not expand, and means for disengaging said arms Vfrom said shaft, a collar 27, rigidly attached, a spring seated on said collar fiinctioning as tension means Vtocanse said toothed-members-to expand for the purpose set forth and described, and on the opposite end of said hitch a plurality of toothed members 18'being connected byarms 19 to collar 20 sli'dablymounted on a shaft and a spring interposed between said collar and the end of a connection 22 as tensioning means to eXpan'dsaid vtoothed members as they travel on the cone of said member 17, for the purpose set forth and described.

3. In a lhollow casing hitch, a bail, a cable connected to' said bail las means for suspending said mechanism to a determinedflocation, means for 'dotaching 'said bail and removing same from'the'casing, an unobstructed hollow longitudinallythrough said cas'- ing hitch functioning vasmeans for passing a charge of explosive' through and below said casing hitch, an automatic means for fastening oneend of said hitch in the end of the oil well casing, and the opposite end released for engagement by binding arms passing below the' end of the casing allowingsaidfanchor arms 28 to disengage, and yielding to the tension of said spring 2G, for the purpose' set forth and described.

c nnwann Lawson. 

